Ashraf AboArafe
Arab Republic of Egypt, November 4 (UN Information Center in Cairo) The One UN Egypt Pavilion at the 12th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF12) today hosted a panel discussion, under the title “Balanced System of Cities for Green Transition and Inclusive Growth across the Urban-Rural Quantum”, aiming to launch a call for collective action to build on existing efforts in Egypt to address the imbalanced system of cities, through collective efforts to enable a new model of balanced cities that contributes to achieving sustainable development goals.
UN-Habitat Egypt Country Director, Ahmed Rezk, moderated a vibrant panel discussion featuring the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Elena Panova; Dr. Abdel Khalek Ibrahim, Assistant Minister of Housing; Dr. Hisham Elhelbawy, Assistant Minister of Local Development for National Projects and Director of the Local Development Program in Upper Egypt; Engineer Amr Lashin, Deputy Governor of Aswan; Mr. Guido Clare, Head of the Regional Center for North Africa and the Middle East at the European Investment Bank; Ms. Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises Centre and Regions and Cities at OECD; and Dr. Salma Yousry, Director of Urban Development Program at UN-Habitat.
The session began with a welcoming note by the UN Habitat Egypt Country Director, followed by a technical presentation Dr. Salma Yousry, on the balanced system of urbanization.
In her remarks during the session, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Elena Panova, highlighted spatial imbalances in Egypt, citing Ministry of Planning and Economic Development data, which indicates that Greater Cairo generates 45% of Egypt’s GDP, while Alexandria contributes 15%.
Panova noted that Cairo particularly dominates the Egyptian economy, with jobs, major companies, and private investments concentrated in the capital city, while many other Egyptian cities lack the capacity for robust growth and job creation Meanwhile, the movement of people to Cairo and Alexandria—more than 70% of internal migration—increases pressure on services, housing, and jobs, she added. This all contributes to a vicious cycle: people leave smaller cities because of limited employment opportunities, which in turn further depresses the attractiveness of these areas as economic centers, leaving even fewer economic opportunities for the population,” Panova said.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt also highlighted the UN’s role in coordinating various efforts to support more inclusive and balanced development that contributes to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the GDP growth. She explained that the UN’s approach in Egypt toward more balanced development among different cities and regions relies on a coordinated effort across all UN agencies, which leverages the collective expertise of the UN system.
For the UN in Egypt—according to Ms. Panova— this starts with our Cooperation Framework with the Government signed in 2023. We see this as our roadmap for collaborative action towards realizing the SDGs in Egypt.
Panova mentioned that many UN agencies are already active at the local level across Egypt, working with diverse demographic, geographic, and economic sectors, which has made a difference in boosting development outside major urban areas.
However, she pointed to the need to expand this work, noting that the UN in Egypt will soon launch a multi-agency program on SDG localization, involving UN-Habitat, the UNDP and UNICEF, to be financed by the Joint SDG Fund.
With over 80% of global GDP generated in cities, urbanization is vital for prosperity. In Egypt, however, rapid urban growth has strained cities’ capacity to meet population needs, exacerbated by climate change, leading to further inequality, increased migration patterns, and a widened poverty gap in many cities. This left 70% of Egyptian cities with low development capabilities, lacking productivity, quality of life, and access to resources. Egypt’s National Urban Policy seeks to balance this by enhancing city competitiveness, connectivity, and resilience. Through integrated development, including human capital growth, circular economy, and mainstreaming climate action, cities can support national growth and offer better opportunities for Egyptians.
